Die Hard 2 (1990)

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  TheMovieDiorama

  6 / 10

  Die Hard 2 packs twice as much action but falls harder than a plane nosediving. No explanations are required to illustrate how outstanding the original 'Die Hard' is, with many claiming it to be the greatest 80s action film ever. With such big box office numbers and acclaim, a sequel was to be expected. Fortunately, it's a decent follow-up. But its self-aware serendipity is also a familiar curse. John McClane is back, this time attempting to stop of group of soldiers turned terrorists at an airport on Christmas Eve. It's a generic by-the-numbers plot that, for the most part, moves along at a swift pace. A sequel fully equipped with typical McClane one liners from "yippee-kiyay" to many dialogue lines of Willis talking to himself sarcastically. "Why does this keep happening to me?". And it's with this self-awareness that the film falters. It acknowledges that the events taking place are serendipitously alike to the first film, which in turn loses the credibility in the plot. I mean Christmas, again? Accompanied by a bland antagonist(s), it quickly becomes clear that it pales in comparison. Alas, it remains enjoyably buoyant throughout, with the explosions increasing in radius (atleast two planes exploded). Willis again packs the testosterone and retains McClane as one of cinema's greatest characters. However, forget about the dazzling protagonist, the real hero is (drumroll please)...the fax machine. Yes, never has a fax machine been so useful in a film. Predictably the airport security were useless, but damn that fax machine was something else. Such prowess, such elegance. The way it prints out that paper with no distractions. Just one machine, doing one task. "Die Hard 2: Fax Harder". Seriously though, a decent sequel. However bigger explosions and carnage does not necessarily make a better film.

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